Dog Bites

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, and tens of thousands of them require reconstructive surgeries as a result. Most of those severely injured by dog bites are young children, who are often bitten on the face, neck, or head. Among adults, animal bites to hands are more likely than others to lead to dangerous infections.

If you or your child suffered injuries as a result of a dog bite in Tennessee, you may be able get compensation for the resulting harm. Such compensation would cover medical bills and wages lost as a result of the injury; it would also cover aspects of the injury that may be more difficult to translate into monetary terms—such as pain and suffering, scarring, and disfigurement.

When the injured victim is a minor, the parents may bring suit on their child’s behalf. If you are a parent of an injured child, your focus will rightly be on helping the child recover, physically and emotionally. Keep in mind however, that in Tennessee any personal injury claim must be brought within one year of the injury (or of the discovery of that injury)—and that financial compensation for the child’s injuries may enable you to provide the child with all the medical care necessary for recovery.

In Tennessee, a number of factors will determine whether or not an injured person will recover compensation: the location where the incident occurred (whether in a public area, or on private property where the victim was lawfully present); the amount of information that the dog’s owner (or the person in control of the dog at the time) had about the dog’s tendency to be vicious or aggressive; the measures taken by the dog’s owner to prevent such attacks; the behavior of the injured person; etc. According to Tennessee laws, if the injured person provoked the animal, or was negligent and bears part of the fault for the injury, he or she may be barred from receiving any compensation.

It is important, therefore, that you discuss your situation with an experienced Tennessee personal injury attorney as soon as possible. You should also promptly gather as much information as possible about the circumstances of the dog attack and about the dog and its owners. An attorney can help you collect that key evidence (including statements made by the dog’s owner or witnesses to the attack), and use it to build the strongest case possible on your behalf.

Knoxville attorney Mark C. Hartsoe has decades of experience in representing individuals and families who have been severely injured in Tennessee. At the Hartsoe Law firm, we provide a free initial consultation to assess the details of your case. We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency basis, which means that we only get paid if you recover compensation. Most of the cases we accept are settled through negotiations with insurance companies; however, our firm has also achieved numerous successful outcomes at trial.

I was on my way to Atlanta and a huge truck rear-ended me and knocked me off the side of the road. I was scared. Didn’t know what to do. I tried working with the insurance company. They are just difficult to work with. I had to call somebody to take care of me. So, My brother told me to call Mark Hartsoe. As soon as I called Mark Hartsoe, he let me know real quick that everything was going to be okay and that he would take care of everything. And, he did. He got me a great settlement. He took the worry off of me. Mickey Anderson

★★★★★

I was hit coming home late at night by a drunk driver who took off. And the next day I was able to track down his vehicle and get the state police involved. At that point, a family friend recommended that I talk to Mark Hartsoe. Pretty much at that point, Mark handled the police, the insurance company and the guy who hit me. Settled with the actual person that hit me. Outside of that, everything came out great. Did not have to go to court. Got a great settlement. Got my car replaced. Got a check. Mark Hartsoe is my lawyer. Nate Holder

★★★★★

I was involved in a motorcycle accident. It was a head-on collision. I broke my arm, injured by knee. I was out of work for a long time and had medical bills, other expenses. A personal friend handed me a card for Mark Hartsoe. I called Mark Hartsoe from the side of the road and he took care of everything. My case was settled out of court. I received a great settlement. Bike was totaled, motorcycle was replaced. It was easy, painless. About as painless as something like this can be. This is why my lawyer is Mark Hartsoe. John Lusinger

★★★★★

I wanted to thank you for the excellent representation and your ability to handle the situation so well with such compassion and strength. We appreciate all of your help, concern and for answering my many questions. It has been a difficult road to travel but when we come across people like you, it really helps to lighten the load. We just wanted you to know how much we appreciate what you’ve done and your ability to handle the situation so well. S. Carter

★★★★★

Thank you so much for all the work you did on our case. We received more than we expected. You were great through the whole time from the first meeting until the last. Thank you so very much. Sam & Judy Kachar

We serve clients throughout Tennessee including those in the following localities: Knox County including Knoxville; Blount County including Alcoa, Louisville, and Maryville; Anderson County including Clinton and Oak Ridge; Bradley County including Cleveland; Campbell County including La Follette; Claiborne County including Tazewell; Cocke County including Newport; Cumberland County including Crossville; Fentress County including Jamestown; Grainger County including Rutledge; Greene County including Greeneville; Hamblen County including Morristown; Hamilton County including Chattanooga; Jefferson County including Dandridge, Jefferson City, and Strawberry Plains; Loudon County including Lenoir City and Loudon; McMinn County including Athens; and Monroe County including Madisonville.